Stuck in a life rut? Book a trip you’ve never done before, suggest results of survey

Published: March 3, 2017 07:35 AM GMT+8

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New travel adventures can help people get out of a rut, suggest the findings of a new survey. — IStock.com pic via AFPPARIS, March 3 — Just got out of a relationship? At a crossroads in your career? Stuck in an overall life rut? Book a trip to a new destination or hit the road solo for the first time. Because according to the results of a new survey, the thrill of stepping out of your comfort zone is the key to rebuilding your confidence, broadening your horizons and ultimately finding success.

Those are the findings of a new global survey, which asked more than 15,000 respondents in 20 countries to share how first-time travel — be it their first time travelling abroad, to a new destination, or travelling solo — changed their lives.

In the survey, commissioned by online site Booking.com, nearly two-thirds (65 per cent) agreed that undertaking a new travel experience helped increase their confidence.

Respondents also said their experiences helped them meet new people (40 per cent); cook and eat new types of food (43 per cent); learn a new language (29 per cent); and inspired them to learn about another culture (29 per cent).

The inverse is also true, with 61 per cent agreeing that people who are well-travelled tend to be more interesting compared to homebodies who’ve never gone abroad. Nearly half (45 per cent) also perceived globetrotters as more successful in their lives and careers.

Some of the respondents who stepped out of their comfort zone to undertake a new travel challenge also reaped dramatic rewards, with one in 10 reporting that a first-time travel experience has led to a new job or relationship.

For a sizeable 21 per cent, their travel experience was also credited with a life move to a completely new destination.

“The adrenalin and confidence boost that travelling somewhere for the first time gives us makes it irresistible. Our first-time travel experiences open our minds, sparks our imagination and inspires us to continue trying something new or change direction in life. Once you catch the travel bug it’s simply contagious,” said Pepijn Rijvers, chief marketing officer at Booking.com.

In another Booking.com survey of 12,780 people, nearly half (45 per cent) of respondents said they plan to be more adventurous in 2017 and try new things.

The most popular first-time experiences cited among respondents included volunteering trips (21 per cent), spiritual adventures (23 per cent), eco-tours (39 per cent), and road trips (44 per cent). — AFP-Relaxnews